Pilate, to gratify the humor of the Roman
soldiers, delivered Jesus to them to be abused
and spitefully treated while they were preparing
for the execution. They called together the whole
regiment that was then waiting, and they all
went into an inner hall where they abused our
Lord and Savior. as a king just as in the high
priest's hall and his servants had abused him
as a prophet and saviour do kings wear robes
of purple or scarlet the word says they clothed
him with purple do kings wear crowns when they
were abusing him the word said they plaited a
crown of thorns and they put it on his head a
crown of straw rushes would have been banter
enough but this was pain also he wore the crown
of thorns which we had deserved that we might
wear the crown of glory which he merited let
us be taught by these thorns even as gideon taught
his men to hate sin to be uneasy under it and
to be in love with jesus if we be at any time
afflicted with a thorn in the flesh let it be
our comfort that our great high priest is touched
with the feeling of our infirmities having himself
known what thorns in the flesh really meant all
kings attended with the acclamations of their
subjects all kings live forever? That also was
mimicked. For the word said they saluted him
with Hail King of the Jews. Such a prince and
such a people. Are they good enough for one another?
Kings have scepters put into their hand, marks
of dominion. as the crown is of dignity to imitate
this they put a reed in his right hand those
who despise the authority of the lord jesus christ
as not to be observed and obeyed who regard not
either the precepts of his word nor the threatenings
of his wrath do in effect this very day put a
reed in his hand yea even as these men smite
him on the head with it such as is the indignity
they do him subjects when they swear allegiance
were wont to kiss their sovereign and this they
offered to do but instead the word said they
spit upon him kings used to be addressed upon
the knee and this also they brought into jest
they bowed the knee and worshipped him this too
they did in scorn to make themselves and one
another laugh they were by sin become liable
to everlasting shame and contempt to deliver
us from which our lord and saviour submitted
to this shame and contempt for us he was thus
mocked not in his own clothes but in another's
to signify that he suffered not for his own sin
the crime was ours The shame he is. Those who
pretend subjection to Christ, but at the same
time give themselves up to the service of the
world, the flesh and the evil one, do in effect
this very hour. The same that they did then,
who bowed the knee to him in mockery and abused
him with, Hail, King of the Jews, when they said,
We have no king but caesar those that bow the
knee to christ but do not bow the soul that draw
nigh to him with their mouths and honor him with
their lips but their hearts are far from him
put the same affront upon him that These did
when he was led to the cross. The soldiers at
the hour appointed led him away from Pilate's
judgment hall to the place of execution. As a
sheep to the slaughter, he was led forth with
the workers of iniquity, though he did no sin.
but lest his death under the load of his cross
which he was to carry should prevent the further
cruelties they intended they compelled one simon
of cyrene to carry his cross for him they compel
one passing by Simon of Cyrene coming from the
country, who is the father of Alexander and Rufus
to go with him, that he might bear his cross.
Now Mark, whose gospel was intended for the Christians
at Rome, uses the phrase the father of Alexander
and Rufus. Now this is a pointless thing to say
unless Alexander and Rufus were already well
known by the time that Mark's gospel was written.
Rufus we meet again for he's mentioned in the
epistle to the Romans. Simon we meet again. For
my own part, I believe that an African played
a part, a beautiful part, in the drama of the
Passion. For just a few minutes, let us try to
recapture the scene. Jesus is on his way from
Pilate's palace to the hill of Calvary outside
the city gates. He's been up all night. He has
passed through an agony of spiritual struggle
in the Garden of Gethsemane. He has sustained
the shock of his disciples' cowardice and the
strain of four trials, one before Annas, one
before caiaphas one before herod and one before
pilate with all the wounding of the spirit which
comes from listening to false witnesses he's
heard a mob cry crucify him crucify him He was
subjected to the coarse cruelty of a handful
of Roman soldiers. He'd been bound with thongs
that bit into his flesh. He'd been struck on
the head till his head ached and throbbed. He'd
been crowned with thorns. His back had been whipped
with a leather scourge in the lash of which pieces
of iron had been tied. A punishment frequently
causing death to the victim. And now... they
have placed on his raw and quivering shoulders
two huge rough beams of wood under the weight
of which he sways and staggers fainting in the
heat almost falling in all the filth of an eastern
street this is the christ of King of kings, lord
of lords, the only ruler of princes to whom every
knee one day shall bow. This is the one whose
lips had spoken words of forgiveness and life,
whose hands had been stretched out in healing
and blessing, whose feet had walked in tireless
errands of mercy and love, and whose very name
forevermore will kindle. new resolutions, new
purposes in the minds and hearts of men. The
officer in charge of the soldiers, moving very
slowly, does not know what to do. A Roman soldier
must not be asked to carry the wood for a criminal.
No ordinary Jew in the crowd could be impressed
into the Roman service. What was the officer
in charge of the party to do? Jesus obviously
could carry his cross no further. No appeal to
the priest was possible. Their reaction would
most certainly be, cannot Rome carry out its
own executions? Here comes one. Simon. who solves
the problem. I cannot begin to tell you what
this portion of the word of God means to me personally.
One of these days I shall have the privilege
of looking Simon in the face, placing my hand
on his shoulder and express my own... personal
appreciation to him for what he did for our wonderful
lord that day as the little procession nears
the gate to pass out on the way to the green
hill beyond the city wall black simon is coming
in on business of his own simon of cyrene tall
strong obviously not a townsman the officer in
charge of the soldiers seized the solution at
once he would not dare to incur the enmity of
the priests by making an orthodox white jew unclean
on the eve of the passover at this time of high
festival his feet had turned toward the holy
city being black he did not find it easy to get
lodgings within the city had been obliged to
lodge outside every morning however he tramped
into the city to take his part in the great festival
and with buoyant heart and smiling eyes with
all his arrangements made to spend the day at
the spot which for the debout jew was the hub
around which all the world revolved the temple
of Jerusalem. Then the officer spots him. He
looks strong. He is a stranger. He knows nothing
what has happened. Nothing. I do not believe
that Simon even knew Jesus. And yet, I feel that
something happened on that walk. Between the
gate of Jerusalem and the hilltop that we call
Calvary, Simon of Cyrene came into contact with
the most powerful transforming force in the world,
the friendship of Jesus. He had the honor of
bearing the cross. His cross. It is incredible
that Jesus would say nothing to one who even
under compulsion was doing him a service. We
do not know what was said. But even if the soldiers
compelled silence and prohibited even the touch
of Jesus' hand on Simon's shoulder, there would
be some contact of spirit with spirit. For we
do know Simon became a Christian. Our evidence
is that he is called the... father of Alexander
and Rufus. And those who received Mark's Gospel
in Rome knew to which Simon reference was made.
For Alexander and Rufus were known to them all.
As one contemplates the part played by Simon
in the drama of the Passion, there are several
things that mean much to all of us. I'm glad
that Simon the Black Man is in the picture and
that he recognized Jesus as Savior. For remember,
Jesus belongs to all races. In a sense, we might
say that Jesus was a Jew. But always keep in
mind that Christ is raceless. I remember someone
telling of a little girl in India who was shown
a picture of our Lord which had been made in
England. And when she saw it, to everybody's
surprise, she cried. And when asked why she was
crying, she said, I didn't think he was a bit
like that. Somehow, I think I know what the little
girl meant. Jesus belongs to everybody. Jesus
belongs to every race in the world. Know that.
Perhaps that is one reason why you've heard me
say it over and over again. I have no picture
of Jesus in my room. For no artist's brush, the
greatest... artist in the world could not put
on canvas the beauty of the Christ that I know
as a living reality. You ask me, have you ever
seen Jesus? Have you ever looked into his face?
No. I have never. seen the face of Jesus. But
somehow I know exactly what he looks like and
is more real to me than any human being that
I've ever seen. He knows no such thing as race.
Simon. Simon of Cyrene. You were so close to
him. Tell me, as you carried his cross, what
did he look like? And methinks the face of Simon,
shining with a glory, beautiful beyond description,
would say, I tell you, not really. Not really.
It was what I felt when I was in his presence.
It was the peace that filled my heart. The load
of sin, of iniquity lifted from me. For just
a moment, the cross was heavy. But in a second,
the weight of the cross lifted from me. And I
felt a peace. I felt a joy. I felt a thrill that
I had never experienced in my life before. He
became more than mere man to me. Man who knew
no race, no nationality. He became my savior.
What something. You and I must not think it strange
if crosses come upon us suddenly. He would be
surprised by them. The cross was a very troublesome,
a very heavy load. But he that carried it a few
minutes had the honor to have his name upon record
in the Book of God, though otherwise an obscure
person. But remember, wherever the The gospel
has been preached. What Simon of Cyrene did was
told as a memorial of him. In like manner, my
friend, the affliction. No cross, no affliction
for the present be joyous but grievous. it yields
a crown of glory to them that are exercised thereby.
That's what the word of God means. The second
epistle of Paul, the apostle to Timothy. Be not
thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our
Lord, nor of me, prisoner but be thou partaker
of the affections of the gospel according to
the power of god who hath saved us and called
us with a holy calling not according to our works
but according to his own purpose and grace which
was given us in christ to jesus before the world
began there's a cross for you there's a cross
for me to carry even as simon of cyrene carried